In Store
Reginald heard commotions all over the store as Veronica’s camera telescoped upwards. The monitors showed three other struggling groups then returned to Veronica and the comedy of victims in her background. Reginald caught her commentary.
“...to remove or contain any of the spills which have now claimed thirty-two victims. What I now understand to be their third attack on the store…”
“It’ll only last a few minutes longer,” said Jessie.
Reginald could only take her word on it. “Customers’ law suits are every Outlets’ nightmare.”
Jessie’s smile held a trace of pride. “We’re not here to hurt anyone. Don’t you want to see what we have in store, Reginald? Calling the security can’t stop anything. At least we can watch it together.”
Before he could answer, she spun towards the aquarium. “Do you know how rare these corals are? You’re lucky to see them everyday.”
“Then why has your group attacked them?”
“The coral was hardly effected,” said Jessie. “Every polyp in a colony is a clone of its neighbor. The genetic damage was zero, and the physical effect was minimal.”
“Damaging the coral wasn’t your goal anyway, was it?” said Reginald. “That’s why you picked such a bright fish. The real demonstration was getting the fish in the tank. The potential of what could be done is the real weapon.”
“Balistoides conspicillum,” said Jessie. “Clown Triggerfish. It tends to stand out, doesn’t it?”
“Very conspicuous,” said Reginald.
“Can you believe how much coral reef used to exist? People could swim over it any time they liked.”
Reginald doubted it, considering the effort spent maintaining the in-store aquarium. If coral reefs had existed over such large areas, he doubted it was as beautiful as the aquarium.
Reginald heard Veronica interviewing a J.F. Security Officer who claimed that tampered-with surveillance tapes suggested a staff member aiding the Radicals. Reginald shuffled the faces of the other staff through his mind like a deck of playing cards into which someone had slipped the joker card—the Radical card. The joker wasn’t revealed.
Reginald coughed and his eyes watered as he inhaled a foul taste. Jessie sneezed and rubbed her nose.
“What’s this?” demanded Reginald.
“Just breathe normally,” said Jessie. “It won’t hurt you. But don’t touch anything.”
“Like what?” said Reginald as waves of customers reacted to the invisible irritant.
“Anything. Don’t touch anything.”
Veronica Vance blinked twice and then, in an impressive display of self-control that belied her delicate appearance, neither coughed nor sneezed as she scarcely missed a syllable in her live coverage. Reginald found his handkerchief but stopped when his hand emerged stained. Around the store, every surface became wet paint—clothes, carpet, handbags, hats, boxes, books—everything but bare metal and glass imparted its pigment to bare skin as though shedding their colors to the humans who’d stained them. Veronica Vance’s neck was stained bright pink from her blouse; Reginald rolled his sleeve and found a bright blue arm. Rainbow children chased through the store.
“This shirt is supposed to be fade resistant. The colors aren’t supposed to run under any circumstances.” He knew it was a stupid thing to say. Reginald thought he should do something for the customers, but they seemed excited to be in the middle of the demonstration. Few had moved to leave the store.
“I don’t understand?” said Reginald. “What’s the point of this attack?”
Jessie lifted her skirt to expose her stained lime-colored legs. The unstained areas of her legs were smooth, brown and taut. “What type of fish am I, Reginald? Now the fish have something colorful to watch through the glass.”
Reginald wasn’t sure if she was being serious. “No special clothes to repel the effect?”
“That would have made me stand out a bit, wouldn’t it?”
Reginald smiled at what a foolish Radical he would make. “Tell me why you’re targeting J.F. Retail Outlets. It seems hypocritical with our contributions to species rehabilitation.”
Jessie squinted her pretty face, incredulous at his ignorance, then said, “J.F. Retail Outlets corrupted the Retail Contributions to Species Rehabilitation Act. They only built the aquariums to attract more customers!”
Reginald knew all about the Act. Updates were posted on the staff billboard. “But if their profits increase as a result of the aquariums,” he countered, “they contribute more to species rehabilitation in the long term.”
“This was never the Act’s purpose!” said Jessie, then lowered her voice. “It was designed so big companies funneled some of their profits into conserving nature. J.F. Retail Outlets went to court and established that the construction of their aquariums discharged their ecological responsibilities. And what do we have now? We have burger chain inner-city artificial wetlands, soft-drink zoos and aquarium department stores. This was not the point, and everybody knows it. It’s just been twisted for profit.”
